Grand Valley Half Marathon Review

First half marathon? Completed.

I kept meaning to make posts on my blog about things that were worrying me leading up to the race; parts of my training that didn't go quite as planned. By the time the race got here, I figured they could become part of a longer entry of survival and accomplishment.

Now, I've been running a pretty consistent 12 minute mile. Ryan Hall, I am not. But, I can keep that pace over the distance and that works for me. The great thing about the town where I live is that there are hills *everywhere.* We live in a valley, so in order to get out of it you have to climb somewhere! I didn't realize just how important those hills would be in my training.

Worry #1: I haven't driven or run the course.

Friday night, we went to go pick up my race packet. We made our way to the Twisted Brick Studios in Palisade (which is very cool inside). I had been trying to pull up the race map on my computer for weeks now, and every time I went to the site all I would get was a map of Palo Alto, California. Pretty, but not western Colorado. I tried my husband's computer only to get the same result. I did the normal techie things (cleared cache and cookies) and tried again. . .only to get the same result. I tried my work computer only to get a map of Mount Vernon, New York. I e-mailed the race director to let them know of my issue; they could not recreate it.

I finally tried M's iPhone on Friday night to see if I could get the race map to pull - success! I knew there was one substantial hill around mile 4, so I found it on the tiny screen and asked M if we could drive it. We made our way to 38 Road and made the turn. This is a winding road with a small 2-3% incline that is covered in trees, so you really can't see beyond it. "This is the hill? This can't be the hill."

It wasn't.

We made our way past the trees to see the hill in front of us. I don't remember exactly what I said, but there was swearing involved. M's response to me was, "it's not that bad." Really husband? Because you're not the one that has to run it tomorrow! It turns out my husband was just trying to make me feel better. We drove to the top and turned around so I could map the distance with the car - 1/2 mile from top to bottom. I didn't know the grade, but it certainly reminded me of the widowmaker from the Highline Hustle Triathlon.

I woke up at 5am on Saturday morning, ate half of an english muffin with peanut butter, grabbed my stuff and we were out the door by 6am. M took the required "before" picture, which really looks like the pictures your mom took of you before the first day of school. I started to take in a Clif Shot as we drove the 30 minutes to Palisade. I didn't end up taking another one for the entire race, but I did have some Gatorade with me in my Nathan hand held bottle.

We parked, walked around, and I warmed up and stretched. We arrived just as the marathoners were starting at 6:30am. The wind was blowing something crazy, so most of the half-marathoners were hiding behind a set of buildings on the opposite side of the street. Looking at the race results now, the half was the most popular event and doubled its number of racers from last year (from 80 something to ~160).

M was kind enough to fill a Shuffle with new music for me. This Shuffle had been sitting in the closet for over a year now; my dad got it when he opened a checking account and gave it to me. I have a Sansa that I like, but needs to be cleaned out. For the past 2-3 months, I've been running with M's iPhone, which is great because I can turn to Pandora and hear new stuff I probably wouldn't have heard otherwise. Because of this, I now have some mad love for Owl City. I asked M to put a bunch of music on there, preferably Christian, and fast tempo. I listened to his efforts about 4 days before the race.

David Crowder Band? Gone.

Casting Crowns? Love them, but too slow.

He added a couple of songs I specifically requested, along with some other albums and called it a day. I really had little idea what was on the Shuffle, which to most people might be off putting as they begin a 2 1/2 hour run. The funny thing is, if I could have written a soundtrack for the race, it would have been the same songs I heard. I queued up my music player to get ready for the start and began to hear Every Little Thing by Hawk Nelson. This song holds special meaning for me and was the perfect way to start my journey.

With a minute to go, we lined up, I kissed M goodbye, and the air horn went off. The first 2-3 miles weren't bad at all. I average running a 12 minute mile, but was posting consistent 11:40 splits. All the while I was trying to pick a pacer, but everyone kept running away from me! It appeared early on that I would be one of the last to finish, and I was okay with that.

Worry #2: My longest training run was only 8.8 miles.

I had planned on my last big run being 10.4, since I ran 8.8 the week before. It was the day before my friend Stacie's wedding, and to be honest I waited until far to late in the day to go out. It was a warm (for running) day, I was under a time crunch, and because of the weather and stress my heart rate shot up and would not come down. I finally cut my losses at 8 miles that day, and started tapering the next week. I was worried I would hit mile 9 on the course and be done. Well. . .I made it to mile 10 before my legs gave out. I still finished the race, but those last three miles were more brutal than I expected. My real race began at mile 10, and I feel like I didn't do as well as I should have. I did finish however, within the 10 minute range I said I would.

Miles 1-4 were great. I heard The Bird and the Worm by Owl City around mile 3 and was literally bopping my head back and forth while running. I'm sure I looked like an idiot, but I loved it. The weather was great, and for those who have ever been to Palisade, we ran by 14 different wineries with the Grand Mesa and Mount Garfield as our backdrop. I don't know how you can get much more beautiful than that.

Mile 4 was the hill. Remember the one I told you about earlier? About 30 seconds into the climb I made the decision to save my legs and walk it. I don't regret doing it; I'm sure had I ran up that hill I wouldn't have made it as far as I did before I had to walk. Of course, as I'm starting up the hill I begin to hear Forward Motion by Relient K. That was pretty timely, if I do say so myself.

Cause I struggle with forward motion

I struggle with forward motion

We all struggle with forward motion

Cause forward motion is harder than it sounds

Well every time I gain some ground

I gotta turn myself around again

The course was an out and back, so on my way down the hill at mile 8 I notice a yellow warning sign for trucks that gave the grade of the hill. . . drum roll please. . .fourteen percent! I'm very thankful I didn't know that going UP. The big hill on the Bay to Breakers course is only 12%, and that almost killed me.

Miles 9-10 were spent mostly running with a couple of walking breaks. Miles 10-12 were spent mostly walking with a few running breaks. Mile 13 I did my best to run so I could finish strong. At the beginning of that last run, I began to hear a song I still can't find (and haven't heard on my Shuffle since); all I remember is the first line being something to the effect of, "I'm so tired of running." Like I said, I couldn't have written the soundtrack to this race better if I had done it in advance.

I saw M at the finish and he took a photo of my crossing. He hugged me and told me how proud he was of me, and didn't make fun of me when I started to cry. I had finished my first half marathon, and no one can take that away from me. My final time was 2:47:58, which I'm happy with. I expected to finish between 2:40 and 2:50, given my twelve minute mile and a little bit of cushion time. That put me at an average of 12:48 per mile. With the first few miles at a consistent 11:40 pace, the walking is what did me in. Oh well, there's always next time.

"Next time?"

Yes my dear readers, I am doing this craziness all over again this Saturday. I'm running in the Geist Half Marathon in Indianapolis. If I'm stuck here for work, I might as well get something enjoyable out of it. As my co-worker Jen from Phoenix told me, "I'll be running the other half of my marathon." I just hope they don't count the lag time.

No longer a hamster on the wheel

I have been struggling the past month or so, trying to figure out how I want to set up my training schedule, what I want to get out of it, and how to balance work/home/fitness/life. The fact that my husband makes incredible chocolate chip cookies is *not* helping.



I had the day off today, and planned to take M's car to have it detailed as his V-Day gift (thanks to my friend Jill for this suggestion). The car wash is 2 miles from the house, so I drove down for the appointment and got my run in coming back to the house.



What a difference being outside makes! Its been so long since I've run outside that I almost couldn't remember why I hate the treadmill. Don't get me wrong, the treadmill has its purpose; speed intervals, hills (when its hard to find a safe one in town), and help with maintaining a constant speed. It also gives me a chance to watch NBC Nightly News and drool over Brian Williams. But, all of this fails in comparison to actually being outside. To see that you are actually going somewhere. To smell fresh air instead of gym sweat. To no longer feel like a hamster on its wheel, spinning and spinning but going nowhere. Oh outdoors, how I've missed you.

It has been an unusual winter here in our valley, we received more snow here back in December than we have in the past 20 years. That snow (and the subsequent storms) have finally melted enough that we can take down our Christmas lights. Because we live in a valley, we often get an inversion over the area. This traps in a lot of smog and pollen; it is not very conducive to running outside. It lifted this past weekend, so I took advantage this morning. All 25 degrees of it. I also walked back those two miles to pick M's car up. I tried to get M to go swimming with me today also, but that was a bust. Maybe I will go tonight after dinner (and after they put the lanes back. 5:30 is "aqua fitness" at our gym).

Holy Crowded Gym!

Tis the season for new year's resolutions! I am stuck working out inside for a bit longer; we finally got above freezing here this week and the roads are still far too slick. All I want to do right now is get on my bike and go anywhere.

It's near impossible to find a parking spot at my gym right now. Thankfully, once you get inside its not so bad (they have a ton of machines and weights). I think the majority of people right now are going to classes instead of working out on their own. This is the time of year that everyone resolves to lose weight, get healthy, and become a better "you." I understand the frustration of those who go to the gym year-round who complain this time of year; the majority of those crowding the treadmills and free weights will be gone in six weeks. But at the same time I have to ask, "Do you remember your first time at a gym?"

I do; I signed up for a 24 Hour Fitness not too far from my work back in 2007. M and I had been married for less than a year, and I had put on the "newlywed nine" and then some. At this point I still cared about the number on the scale, so my goal was to lose 25 pounds (and I still haven't gotten down to that weight). I spent my lunch hours there, watching trashy soaps or Montel while speeding away on the elliptical or jamming out while going around the circuit. I remember feeling out of place and unwanted by those on the machines next to me. I felt like I had to work out harder and longer to prove I "belonged" there. Now that I am a little more "seasoned" in the language of the gym, I try really hard not to put on the same airs I met when I first starting going. Those people are simply trying to do what I did two years ago - feel better about themselves. If my biggest issue is that I have to look a bit longer for a place to park, then my day is going pretty well. Sadly, most of them will be gone in six weeks; discouraged by their lack of progress or motivation or any number of other reasons. But I choose to not be a reason for someone quitting. I encourage all others to do the same.

Seattle is a No Go

I found out this last week that my training for work will not happen in Seattle. This means no Seattle half marathon for me. I plan to regroup and try and find a race I can work towards. Shoot, maybe I'll just train a little longer and do the whole 26.2.

Just kidding. . .maybe.

You know what really grinds my gears?

When people are outside on their bicycles at 6am, when its still dark, and you can't see them until they are right on top of you.

Last Wednesday, I went for my morning run at 6am. On my way to the park behind our development, I saw a black shadow coming towards me (I couldn't really see that great without my glasses). I finally determine its a cyclist:

- On a black bike
- Wearing black cycling clothes and a dark helmet
- With no headlamp or tail lamp
- All reflectors had been removed off the bike

She did have a reflective piece of fabric on her messenger bag, which was on her back. She was riding on the road *against* traffic. I don't know how much more irresponsible you can get. They have recently passed a law in Colorado that if you're going through a tunnel on a bicycle you are required to have a head and tail lamp. Why on earth would you not have this equipment when the sun doesn't rise for another 20+ minutes???

In other news, I swam last week for the first time in almost three weeks. Amazingly, I took a minute off my time, bringing me under the 25 minute mark required for the swim. I swam it in 24:12, which gives me 48 seconds to get out of the pool and run to T1. I think that might be cutting it a bit too close. I really pushed my arms the last 75 meters this last time, which appeared to make all the difference. Perhaps if I work up to pushing the last 150-200 meters or so, I can shave some more time off. I still have 2 1/2 weeks to work on it.

I also went for a long bike on Sunday and averaged 15mph; not bad for my new bike. I'm debating going back to the Highline course and trying to tackle that hill again. Crazy? Probably, most definitely, yes. There is nothing like that on I-70 (at least that I could tell on the drive, the exit to cross over is obviously a hill, but probably the largest one on the course). It may be a good idea to face that demon though (the hill) before I tackle my next tri. I travel to Glenwood Springs for work at the end of next week and plan to jog at least some, if not all of the run course. I think after that I might treat myself to some Moe's. It's the only location in Colorado.

Finally, I should know in the next couple of weeks where my training will be later on this year. I really don't think I'll be ready for the Moab Half Marathon my October, so I guess my first choice is now Seattle. It was fun when we were up there last year; I wouldn't mind 2 1/2 more weeks in Washington.

Traveling and Training

I seem to have an extremely hard time getting my training in when I travel. Traveling overnight for work is a twice monthly occurance for me (at least), so I try to find a hotel that has a fitness center and pool (out here my choice is pretty much limited to the Hampton Inn). By the time I get there, three thoughts run through my head:

1. Dinner
2. What work should I do tonight to get ready for tomorrow
3. Training

The great thing about my job is that I can work >8 hours while I travel and get "credit" for them later. So, if I work an extra 3-4 hours while I'm gone I can take Friday afternoon off. That dangled carrot always seems to get in the way of working out.

I'm traveling to see my parents this weekend. I'm going to try a couple of different things to get my training in before I come up with an excuse not to. This will probably mean switching my runs to the morning. I prefer to run in the evening after it cools off, but this means we don't eat dinner until 9pm. While M said he had no problem with this, my run schedule last night proved otherwise. At least I got a good reminder why I don't run with anything in my stomach.

Decisions, Decisions

I've been working on modifying Hal Higdon's Novice Half Marathon Training to meet my schedule. I have master's swim class on Thursday nights and would like to keep going to work on my speed and technique. I also ride long and swim on Sunday mornings. With everything in pencil on my print out, I think I am ready to begin this week. The training schedule is twelve weeks long, but the Seattle Half Marathon is over twenty-four weeks away. Being able to repeat each week is going to be nice.

The schedule also allows for two races - a 5K during week 6 and a 10K during week 9. I've been searching for races to do in my area and here is what I've found:

Palisade Peach Festival 5 Miler - August 15th
The Other Half (Half Marathon in case we don't go to Seattle) - October 18th

There really isn't anything else out here on the Western Slope that isn't already full. I'm hoping I can also find some races near my parents so I can combine a visit with a race. The options there appear to be much more abundant.

Here's the funny thing; had we not moved away from my parents, I don't think I would have ever thought to do any of this. There is no way I would have considered doing a triathlon; I would have been happy to just walk various courses. What a difference a change in scenery makes. My training begins again tomorrow.

Signed up for Tri #2

I sent in my application and entry fee for Tri Glenwood last week. They only allow for 300 spots, so I'll know sometime in July if I made it in.

My goal in the next couple of weeks is to get back into the swing of things. I have downloaded Hal Higdon's novice half-marathon training guide. I'm hoping this will help with my speed and endurance. Also, there is a possibility I will be sent to Seattle again for training in November. The Seattle Marathon (and associated half-marathon) are during that time. Once I find out if I'm going to Washington, I will sign up.

I couldn't run a year ago and now I want to do half-marathon *and* and second triathlon by the end of the year. Yep, I'm definitely crazy.

I went. I swam. It sucked.

Today's workout: Swim ~700 meters, run for 30 minutes

So, I didn't exactly make it to the gym yesterday. By the time I got around to going it was eight o'clock. The best "punishment" I could think of was to get up at 5:45am and head over to the gym to swim before work.

I went. I swam. It sucked.

I haven't swam in a week. I was having the most horrible time breathing this morning, its almost like I forgot everything Morgan taught me. I think I wasn't getting everything out before coming up for a breath, at least that's what it felt like. I started Googling for answers, and I found this: http://swimming.about.com/od/freeandback/a/breath_freestyl.htm. What is the #1 issue? Not letting out all of your air before coming up. By George, I think I'm on to something! As hard as it was, it felt great to go this morning and it felt even better to go running tonight.

My co-worker came over and my husband watched the little one while we went running together. Its a 1.82 mile loop door to door, and I think we could have done two but I was worried about leaving my husband alone with the kid for that long. Don't get me wrong, he loves children. But the little one was not very happy that mommy (co-worker) left her, even for 30 minutes. I'm sure as time goes by, she'll get better with him. But for now, its Mommy or Bust.

Heaven. . .

Friday's workout: Day off! (very important)
Saturday's workout: Run 45-50 minutes (about 3.5-4 miles), swim 600 meters
Sunday's workout: Bike ~12 miles (mileage per MapMyRide)

My husband I and went out of town this weekend to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We went to Avon, Colorado (at the base of Beaver Creek) and stayed at a beautiful hotel right next to the Eagle River. There is a trail that goes from Avon to Edwards (about 4 miles one way) that I followed for my long run on Saturday.

I was in heaven.

The scenery was gorgeous. I turned down my MP3 player so I could hear the river rushing past me while I tried to keep up. I wasn't going even close to the same speed, but the river didn't care; it was just happy to have the company. Of course, you can't see the river in this shot (it is on the left side), but you get the general idea of the view.

The hotel we stayed at also boasts the largest pool in the valley at 25m. It's a saline pool as well, so no clorine to make your skin dry and itchy. I was able to go 350m without stopping on Saturday, which I'm happy with considering the whole pool length debacle of two weeks ago.

Back to work and reality tomorrow.

BRICK Workouts

Today's workout: Ride bicycle to work (~8.33 miles since there is no detour to the gym today), BRICK, Run 30 minutes.

What is a BRICK workout?

From TriNewbies.com:

Bike/run Bricks are included in this workout for one reason only – To help your legs acclimation from cycling legs to running legs by simulating the bike to run transition. Bricks are not about proving how tough you are. A brick can be either a valuable training component or a training liability (causing overuse injuries).

How you approach your brick will determine the outcome. Basically, a brick workout is a back-to-back workout to help simulate real racing. The most popular brick is the bike/run brick, which as we stated above, is performed primarily for leg acclimation from your cycling legs to your running legs. During this training program, bike/run bricks will be included during weeks 5 through 8. You will be performing one a week. Depending upon where you ride, you will need to do some preparation. Have your running gear ready to go when you finish your bike ride. This is where you want to simulate your race transition from bike to run as much as possible. During your race, you will not have a tent in which to change clothing, so you will want to cycle in the same gear you plan on running in.

On the run portion of the brick, you will only need to run for about 10 to 20 minutes (20 minutes tops!). This will provide enough time for you to make the acclimation from your cycling legs to your running legs. And do not simply take off running hard! Begin walking for about 2 minutes, then start out with an easy jog. You may notice your heart rate is higher than your typical zone. That is why walking initially will help lower it providing active recovery. Try and keep your heart rate in your zone during the run.

Brick Tips


If possible, perform your brick transition at your home. Why? So you have a safe place to store your bike when finished. If you travel to do your cycling (like I do!) make sure you lock your bike in your car before heading out on the run!


A stationary trainer is a great place to perform your brick workouts. It may be boring but you are assured your bike will be safe when you hop off and it allows you to bike and run in a familiar area. It will also allow you to focus solely on cycling speed work without worrying about automobile traffic.


Plan ahead. Have everything you will want for your race. Your shoes, perhaps a running singlet (shirt), a hat, and your nutritional drink or gel. Again, you want to simulate real race conditions as much as possible.


Practice your bike to run transition as if you were in a race. Take your time initially. Yes, speed in the transition area is important, but not right now. If you decide you want to stick with this sport, then you can worry about being competitive and focusing on time saving steps. For now, get used to bending over, slipping on your running shoes and heading out on the run.


Begin your run with a walking warm-up. Take a sip of your drink during this time. Ease into your run. Do take off sprinting.


Play close attention to how you feel. Yes, the first time you head out, you
will probably feel awful! You will not be used to the feeling of switching from cycling to running. But you will get used to it. On your first brick be patient but take note of things that stick out. Are your legs tired? Probably, but that will improve with practice. Are you cramping? Could be you didn’t drink/eat enough on your bike ride or it could be what you ate! Are you dizzy? Probably due to nutrition/hydration related. My point, take note of how you feel. In most cases, how you feel on the run portion of the brick is directly related to your nutritional consumption on the bike. And it may not necessarily be how much you consumed but what you consumed.

I did my third brick today and it wasn't too bad at all. I got home, grabbed my running cap and MP3 player and set out on my warm-up walk. I can't make it as far without stopping as I can when I do just a running workout, but my time for the same distance is only off by about 2 minutes. Now I just need to practice a brick after going the race length of 16 miles on the bike instead of just 4.

For those interested, the training program I'm following can be found here.